THE HIGHLAND TOUR. man of 25th August, 1787. I LEAVE Edinburgh for a northern tour, in company with my good friend Mr. Nicol, whose originality of humour promises me much entertainment.-Linlithgow-a fertile improved country-West Lothian. The more elegance and luxury among the farmers, I always observe in equal proportion, the rudeness and stupidity of the peasantry. This remark I have made all over the Lothians, Merse, Roxburgh, &c. For this, among other reasons, I think that a romantic taste, a "Man of Feeling," will be better pleased with the poverty, but intelligent minds of the peasantry in Ayrshire (peasantry they are all below the justice of peace) than the opulence of a club of Merse farmers, when at the same time, he considers the vandalism of their plough-folks, &c. I carry this idea so far, that an uninclosed, half-improven country is to me actually more agreeable, and gives me more pleasure as a prospect, than a country cultivated like a garden.-Soil about Linlithgow light and thin. The town carries the appearance of rude, decayed grandeur-charmingly rural retired situation. The old royal palace a tolerably fine, but melancholy ruin-sweetly situated on a small elevation, by the brink of a loch. Shown the room where the beautiful, injured Mary Queen of Scots was born-a pretty good old Gothic church. The infamous stool of repentance standing, in the old Romish way, on a lofty situation. What a poor, pimping business is a Presbyterian place of worship; dirty, narrow, and squalid; stuck in a corner of old popish grandeur such as Linlithgow, and much more, Melrose! Ceremony and show, if judiciously thrown in, absolutely necessary for the bulk of mankind, both in religious and civil matters.-Dine.-Go to my friend Smith's at Avon print-field-find nobody but Mrs. Miller, an agreeable, sensible, modest, good body; as useful but not so ornamental as Fielding's Miss Western-not rigidly polite à la française, but easy, hospitable, and housewifely. An old lady from Paisley, a Mrs. Lawson, whom I promise to call for in Paisley-like old lady W and still more like Mrs. C, her conversation is pregnant with strong sense and just remark, but like them, a certain air of selfimportance and a duresse in the eye, seem to indicate, as the Ayrshire wife observed of her cow, that "she had a mind o' her ain." Pleasant view of Dunfermline and the rest of the fertile coast of Fife, as we go down to that dirty, ugly place, Borrowstones-see a horse-race and call on a friend of Mr. Nicol's, a Bailie Cowan, of whom I know too little to attempt his portrait. Come through the rich carse of Falkirk to pass the night. Falkirk nothing remarkable except the tomb of Sir John the Graham, over which, in the succession of time, four stones have been placed.-Camelon, the ancient metropolis of the Picts, now a small village in the neighbourhood of Falkirk.-Cross the grand canal to Carron.-Come past Larbert and admire a fine monument of cast-iron erected by Mr. Bruce, the African Traveller, to his wife. Pass Dunipace, a place laid out with fine taste -a charming amphitheatre bounded by Denny village, and pleasant seats down the way to Dunipace. The Carron running down the bosom of the whole makes it one of the most charming little prospects I have seen. Dine at Auchinbowie-Mr. Monro an excellent, worthy old man.-Miss Monro an amiable, sensible, sweet young woman, much resembling Mrs. Grierson. Come to Bannockburn-Shown the old house where James III. finished so tragically his unfortunate life. The field of Bannockburn -the hole where glorious Bruce set his standard. Here no Scot can pass uninterested.-I fancy to myself that I see my gallant, heroic countrymen coming o'er the hill and down upon the plunderers of their country, the murderers of their fathers; noble revenge, and just hate, glowing in every vein, striding more and more eagerly as they General's hut-Falls of Fyers-Urquhart Castle and Strath. Thursday.-Come over Culloden Muir-reflections on the field of battle-breakfast at Kilravock -old Mrs. Rose, sterling sense, warm heart, strong passions, and honest pride, all in an uncommon degree-Mrs. Rose jun. a little milder than the mother-this perhaps owing to her being younger —Mr. Grant, minister at Calder, resembles Mr. Scott at Inverleithing-Mrs. Rose and Mrs. Grant accompany us to Kildrummie-two young ladies -Miss Rose, who sung two Gaelic songs, beautiful and lovely-Miss Sophia Brodie, most agreeable and amiable-both of them gentle, mild; the sweetest creatures on earth, and happiness be with them!-Dine at Nairn-fall in with a pleasant enough gentleman, Dr. Stewart, who had been long abroad with his father in the Forty-five; and Mr. Falconer, a spare, irascible, warm-hearted Norland, and a Nonjuror-Brodie-house to lie. Venerable ruins of Elgin Abbey-A grander effect at first glance than Melrose, but not near so beautiful-Cross Spey to Fochabers-fine palace, worthy of the generous proprietor-Dine -company, Duke and Duchess, Ladies Charlotte and Magdeline, Col. Abercrombie, and Lady, Mr. Gordon and Mr.- a clergyman, a venerable, aged figure-the Duke makes me happier than ever great man did-noble, princely; yet mild, condescending, and affable; gay and kind -the Duchess witty and sensible-God bless them! Come to Cullen to lie-hitherto the country is sadly poor and unimproven. Come to Aberdeen-meet with Mr. Chalmers, printer, a facetious fellow-Mr. Ross a fine fellow, like Professor Tytler-Mr. Marshall one of the poeta minories-Mr. Sheriffs, author of "Jamie and Bess," a little decrepit body with some abilities-Bishop Skinner, a Nonjuror, son of the author of "Tullochgorum," a man whose Friday.-Breakfast with the Miss Scots-Miss Bess Scott like Mrs. Greenfield-my bardship almost in love with her--come through the rich harvests and fine hedge-rows of the Carse of Gowrie, along the romantic margin of the Grampian hills, to Perth-fine, fruitful, hilly, woody country round Perth. Saturday Morning.-Leave Perth--come up Strathearn to Endermay-fine, fruitful, culti vated Strath-the scene of " Bessy Bell, and Mary Gray," near Perth-fine scenery on the banks of the May-Mrs. Belcher, gawcie, frank, affable, fond of rural sports, hunting, &c.-Lie at Kinross-reflections in a fit of the colic. Sunday.-Pass through a cold, barren country to Queensferry-dine-cross the ferry and on to Edinburgh. THE POET'S ASSIGNMENT OF HIS WORKS. : KNOW all men by these presents that I Robert Burns of Mossgiel whereas I intend to leave Scotland and go abroad, and having acknowledged myself the father of a child named Elizabeth, begot upon Elizabeth Paton in Largieside: and whereas Gilbert Burns in Mossgiel, my brother, has become bound, and hereby binds and obliges himself to aliment, clothe and educate my said natural child in a suitable manner as if she was his own, in case her mother chuse to part with her, and that until she arrive at the age of fifteen years. Therefore, and to enable the said Gilbert Burns to make good his said engagement, wit ye me to have assigned, disponed, conveyed and made over to, and in favors of, the said Gilbert Burns, his heirs, executors, and assignees, who are always to be bound in like manner with himself, all and sundry goods, gear, corns, cattle, horses, nolt, sheep, household furniture, and all other moveable effects of whatever kind that I shall leave behind me on my departure from this Kingdom, after allowing for my part of the conjunct debts due by the said Gilbert Burns and me as joint tacksmen of the farm of Mossgiel. And particularly without prejudice of the foresaid generality, the profits that may arise from the publication of my poems presently in the press. And also, I hereby dispone and convey to him in trust for behoof of iny said natural daughter, the copyright of said poems in so far as I can dispose of the same by law, after she arrives at the above age of fifteen years complete. Surrogating and substituting the said Gilbert Burns my brother and his foresaids in my full right, title, room and place of the whole premises, with power to him to intromit with, and dispose upon the same at pleasure, and in general to do every other thing in the premises that I could have done myself before granting hereof, but always with and under the conditions before expressed. And I oblige myself to warrand this disposition and assignation from my own proper fact and deed allenarly. Consenting to the registration hereof in the books of Council and Session, or any other Judges books competent, therein to remain for preservation, and constitute. Proculars, &c. In witness whereof I have wrote and signed these presents, consisting of this and the preceding page, on stamped paper, with my own hand, at the Mossgiel, the twentysecond day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six years. Upon the twenty-fourth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six years, I, William Chalmer, Notary Publick, past to the Mercat Cross of Ayr head Burgh of the Sheriffdome thereof, and thereat I made due and lawful intimation of the foregoing disposition and assignation to his Majesties lieges, that they might not pretend ignorance thereof, by reading the same over in presence of a number of people assembled. Whereupon William Crooks, writer, in Ayr, as attorney for the before designed Gilbert Burns, protested that the same was lawfully intimated, and asked and took instruments in my hands. These things were done betwixt the hours of ten and eleven forenoon, before and in presence of William M'Cubbin, and William Eaton, apprentices to the Sheriff Clerk of Ayr, witnesses to the premises. (Signed) WILLIAM CHALMER, N. P. WILLIAM M'CUBBIN, Witness. |